We originally reviewed poe items in 2013. It has changed significantly since then, so much so that we decided to review it again. Our original review can still be found here. For more about why we've chosen to re-review certain games, head here. When you wash up on the shores of Wraeclast in Path of Exile’s opening moments, you’re a pitiful sight, completely lost and clad only in tattered rags. Survival means hitting wandering, bloated cadavers with driftwood until they explode. Take some time to appreciate the simplicity. From there, Path of Exile piles on the complexity and scope, transforming you from a shipwreck survivor into a god-killing, universe-jumping crusader.

Path of Exile has always tried to stand apart from other modern ARPGs with its lore-soaked setting and daunting passive skill tree doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Since 2013, however, more and more has been heaped onto it, not just taking it in a different direction from, say, Diablo 3, but from the genre in general. It’s blessed with a unique identity—one that’s built on experimentation and constant evolution.If you’ve dabbled in other dungeon-delving romps, you’ll be familiar with the pattern of heading out into the wilderness to loot and kill—left and right clicking and hitting hotbar keys to attack and cast spells, Diablo-style—mopping up quests and becoming ludicrously powerful. But Path of Exile is still full of all manner of surprises. You can build a monster zoo, create your own hideout, or start fresh in a temporary world with new rules and weird twists. Just when you feel like you might be done with it, Path of Exile transforms, beckoning you to make the ascent again and again. This isn’t an RPG that’s comfortable with sitting still for long periods of time. There’s always a new boss to kill, a new system to wrap your head around, or a weapon that you absolutely must have for your new character build idea. It can be a lot to take in, but the heart of Path of Exile remains its character progression—that journey from nobody to cosmic superhero—and the absurdly huge passive skill tree that represents that growth. It’s a complicated web of passive abilities and stats that buff your Exile with additional dexterity, intelligence, weapon proficiencies, spell damage and countless other modifiers, broad and situational.Read More